The present invention pertains generally to hair dryers and particularly hand held dryers termed blow dryers by the public.
In wide use presently are hand held blow dryers having a fan and motor assembly for driving a flow of air past a heat source. Conventionally, such devices broadly resemble a pistol in that they include a handgrip and a barrel portion. Finger operated switch controls are mounted on the handgrip and are in circuit with the electric motor and with an electrical heating element to provide selective operation of the fan and motor with or without energization of the heating element. Further, some hair dryers include a provision for varying the temperature of the airflow discharge by regulating current flow to the heating element.
For the drying of hair, such devices are generally satisfactory, but are somewhat deficient from a styling standpoint as follows. A strand of hair includes a cuticle layer which, when subjected to above normal temperatures, is displaced outwardly from the hair shaft rendering the hair largely unmanageable by reason of the presence of static electricity. Further, a hair shaft in such a condition does not retain a curve or style imparted to it.
Accordingly it has been found beneficial to subject the hair to a flow of air at room temperature at the latter stage of drying to contract the cuticle layer and hence reduce static electricity to enhance retention of a styled shape.
In the styling of hair with conventional blow dryers a delay is incurred as the stylist must wait for the exhaust flow to dissipate heat from the de-energized heating coils before he can apply a flow of ambient or cool air to the hair. In a hair styling salon during the course of a busy day considerable time on a cumulative basis is lost which could otherwise be put to profitable use by each stylist serving one or two additional patrons during the work day.